Archive for January, 2009

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Top Notch Piano Brands: Bet for the Right Choice!

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Buying a piano might not seem a daunting task to most of us. However, the real difficulty begins when one actually lands in a piano showroom. With multiple brands available today, it becomes increasingly difficult to settle for the right choice. Few basic rules should be considered while making your piano purchase; one of them being the presence of a registered piano technician, not a piano tuner, for checking the instrument before the final transaction. Besides, a little homework on your desired purchase is necessary so as to be familiar with the pros and cons of each brand.

Baldwin Pianos – Baldwin pianos have been in vogue since the 1890’s and it continues to be one of the best quality piano brands in the market today. Baldwin offers both acoustic and digital pianos in upright and grand cabinets.

Steinway Pianos – It’s the dream of many to own a Steinway piano and rightly so. Steinway & Sons are known for their world-class quality and have been in the business since the 1850’s.

Mason & Hamlin Pianos – The Mason & Hamlin piano company was established in 1854. After changing owners several times and filing for bankruptcy in 1995, Mason & Hamlin pianos are back and remain in the forefront of piano making and innovation.

Schimmel Pianos – The Schimmel piano company was founded in 1885 in Leipzig, Germany. Even today, Schimmel pianos are trusted for their high quality and craftsmanship.

Bösendorfer Pianos – Bösendorfer was founded by Ignaz Bösendorfer in 1828. Since then, the brand is considered one of the best Viennese-made pianos in the market.

Kawai Pianos – The Kawai piano manufacturing company is truly one of Japan’s prides. The craftsmanship, mixed with innovation and technology, makes it one of the premier piano manufacturing firms.

Roland Pianos – Roland is famous for its wide range of equipments including home keyboards, digital pianos, synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion kits, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, audio processing devices, and other electronic musical instruments.

Yamaha Pianos – Since the founder Torakusu Yamaha built Japan’s first piano in 1900, Yamaha has built up a large line of acoustic and digital pianos.

Samick Pianos- Samick is the first piano maker to achieve ISO 9002 certification. Samick piano value can easily be assessed from its exquisite craftsmanship and warm European voice.

The above-mentioned brands are some of the best known in the piano manufacturing industry. But ensure that you enjoy its sound quality as the piano will be your prized possession, not an investment.

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If I don’t play the piano very well yet, is it foolish to pursue a degree in music composition?

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

I’ve been playing the guitar for seven years, and it’s a lot of fun. However, my dream is to compose piano music for video games and/or release my own music.

I have a piano at home, but can’t play it very well yet. I heard that at my school of choice you have to audition in order to get accepted into a music composition program. Is it possible to get a music composition degree without being able to play the piano well at the beginning?

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Do I need piano lessons to be really good?

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

I’ve never had lessons, but I can play beacause I can read music, so I incorporated that into the piano. However, my skills are limited. To be really good, do I need lessons or could I just use piano books that teach you.

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Coldplay: The Scientist piano cover Available on iTunes

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Coldplay: The Scientist piano cover By David Sides

www.myspace.com/davidsides

Available on iTunes

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Find Baby Grand Pianos For Sale Online

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Pianos are one of the most beautiful instruments anyone can own or play. Grand pianos date back to the early 18th century, and since then have only grown in popularity. Besides the great sound that emanates from them, they are also great show pieces for your collection hall, or home. I always wanted to play a classical instrument like the violin or piano but instead I chose something jazzier; a soprano sax which I played day in and out for almost 4 years. Grand pianos are not the same as baby grand pianos. Grand pianos are one of the largest instruments and go down in size from grand to concert grand to parlor grand to baby grand.

A baby grand is usually shorter than it is wide and has strings that are shorter, thicker and stiffer than other grands. This allows the baby grand to sound more harmonic than the others. Many people buy baby grands instead of regular grands for three reasons. One because of the sound, two because they are smaller in size and three because they are less expensive! Some of the most popular brand of baby grand pianos are Breitenbach, Stuyvesant, Bergmann, and Baldwin. These types of pianos range from $1,000 on up to $8,000 but are worth it in the end!

If your looking around on the Internet for a baby grand piano, then you’re in luck! Many sites online offer buyers such as you to be able to buy, rent, or bid on these types of pianos. A few good places you could look if your looking for pianos in general or a baby grand pianos is:

- eBay

- Amazon

- ThePianoSuperstore

- SweeneyPiano

- MyModernPiano

- Google Checkout

By the way you can also find piano stores either online or offline that are closer to your home which means you can pay less for shipping and handling or better yet have the company deliver it right to your home with no parcel service involved.

These pianos not only come in different brands and prices but also different “ages” and different kinds of woods. The woods you will find will also vary from the original black, oak, mahogany, polished mahogany, and polished snow white but there are many other different kinds of woods depending on what your looking for. And as said above there are also different antique pianos you can buy as well. These are usually more expensive than a brand new piano but, if you’re a collector of sorts this could be something your looking for!

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Piano Learning Software – A Modern Way To Learn

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Piano lessons have changed over the years. Now you can download a full piano course to your computer and learn to play in a new and modern way.

With the cost of electronic keyboards and pianos becoming easily affordable, especially if you buy a second hand keyboard, now is a good time to start learning to play the piano. Gone are the days when you had to buy a big and heavy upright piano to start learning to play. Today, you can buy a roll up piano. It doesn’t take up any room, just roll it flat when you want to play it, roll it up when you’re finished and put it in the cupboard or under the bed, its incredible how technology has made musical instruments, especially keyboards, more accessible to more people.

It was inevitable that with new types of electronic keyboards there would be new ways of teaching. Now you can download piano lessons directly to your computer and start learning to play immediately. You need the right piano course to get you started and it needs to be easy to follow and keep your interest.

There are many courses available that have a new and interesting ways of learning to play the piano. Many of these new piano courses include hundreds of sound files and video files that show you how to play. It’s a bit like learning a new language where you listen then you speak, only in this case you listen then you play.

Learning to play a song on a piano or keyboard has been made easier by splitting the songs in to sections. Think of these sections as mini songs. When you have learned to play all the sections, you can then play the whole song.

You can also watch real piano techniques on video. With hundreds of piano learning video files, there is plenty to watch and learn from. Its simplicity itself, you just watch the video on your computer, copy the techniques and play on your keyboard. This is how piano teachers teach the piano, they show the student how and where to place their hand or fingers on the keyboard and the student copies the technique. Really, the only difference between piano software and a piano teacher is you can have software along with its sound and video files 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are many good quality piano courses available that take you from a beginner to an advanced piano player. Now learn at your own pace with piano software, the modern way to learn to play the piano.

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How do I convert these notations into actual notes of the piano?

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Learning to read music and play the piano.
As an established novice I have a basic understanding of the structure of scales.
But I don’t understand the notations above the stave, thus C7, Gm, Dm, Am7, B(flat)maj7 and so on.
How do I convert these notations into actual notes of the piano?

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Piano Dealer: They Do More Than Just Selling Pianos

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

If you are in the market for a piano or you have found a great deal on one that needs some work, it is likely that your local piano dealer can help you out. Not only do they sell a variety of styles, but most of them also deal in restoration and repair of instruments.

Not all pianos are created equal and not all of them warrant the time and cost to have a complete restoration. Why is that you ask? The answer is because many newer brands and models have fallen prey to assembly-line mass production. Less attention is paid to sound quality and superior materials and more is paid to getting a nice-looking piece of furniture into the market. Sound quality and materials tend to fall by the wayside in this case. Now, not all new pianos are victim to this practice and your piano dealer can help you choose the right model for you.

When it comes to restoring a piece, anything that is less than 40 or so years old is not really a great investment. The best quality pieces will be at least 100 years or more and well worth the time and cost to return to its original state. That being said, if the instrument has been in your family for years and parents, children and grandchildren have learnt to play on it then restoration for sentimental reasons is definitely worth it. But, for a truly fine piano built back in the early 1900’s, experienced restoration can bring back the original sound and look that it had on the day it was built.

What does the restoration process involve? This is where it is extremely important that you research and find a reputable piano dealer who is familiar with your make and model. You may also want to research your instrument on your own so you have a little background on its history and craftsmanship. Piano restoration is tedious and time consuming and you want a technician who is very knowledgeable about your instrument. Basically, the process is like building the piano in reverse. Every component is removed, inspected and repaired or replaced. The hammers, the soundboard, the keys, the pedals, the strings, everything is suspect to intense scrutiny during the process. The outside is also refinished in its original color and given a sheen that will make you think it just came from the factory.

Make sure that the piano dealer and the technician (if it is a different person) understand that you want the parts that are replaced to be of the same quality as the original. There are no standards when it comes to restoration, but a reputable dealer will have his own standards. Unfortunately, some will try to cut costs by using cheaper materials that will lessen the expected sound quality. The Piano Technicians Guild recognizes those who meet their criteria and pass their exams, but that should not be your only reason for choosing someone. Shop around, get estimates, seek out referrals and interview the dealer before deciding on who you want to handle your precious piece of history or family heirloom. Quality usually costs more, but you will be much happier with the results and you will also have made a great investment.

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Learn To Play Piano: A Digital Or An Acoustic Piano?

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

If I have to choose between buying an acoustic piano or a digital piano what is the best choice? let’s take a look at the different choices if you want to learn to play piano.

Personally I haven’t been forced to make the decision between buying a normal upright piano and a digital piano as I have both in my home. I can see advantages in both types of pianos when practicing the art of learning to play piano.

A normal upright piano produces sounds with hammers that strikes the strings. A digital piano on the other hand tries to duplicate the feeling of playing an acoustic piano.

Most people are familiar with the normal upright piano but what advantages has a digital piano?

First let us describe a digital piano.

A digital piano consists of a keyboard with weighted key action, sensors that detect the velocity when you play the keys and a set of sounds you can choose from. To make it possible to listen to the piano when you play you have an amplifier and loudspeakers and headphone jacks.

Here are some advantages with a digital piano:

1. A digital piano doesn’t need to be tuned. A normal acoustic piano you should tune once or twice a year. If you can’t tune a piano yourself you have to turn to a piano tuner. It can be quite expensive of course. Even a piano tuner has to pay his bills.

2. You can practice silently. A digital piano usually has a headphone jack so by using headphones you can practise as much as you want without disturbing neighbours or family members.

3. Midi interface. A digital piano usually has a midi interface which makes it possible to connect your piano to a computer and use music software like notation programs or a sequenser program or a software synthesizer.

What then are the disadvantages of having a digital piano?

1. The sounds in an acoustic piano are produced by strings vibrating and the different pitches interact in ways that you cannot copy on a digital piano. The sound quality of the sounds produced by digital pianos are becoming better and better but it is still a completely different way of producing sounds.

2. A digital piano is limited when it comes to producing different tone colors by different ways of playing. An accomplished pianist might feel limited by the sampled sounds.

There are many more things to say about choosing a piano but this is a beginning.

As you can see it is not so easy to decide what’s best for you. If you can’t decide what type of piano to buy you can do as I have done. Have both types of pianos and keep smiling.

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Piano Tabs: Learn To Play White Christmas With Keyboard Tablature

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

This piano lesson will help you read piano tab notation or keyboard tablature. You will find that this type of notation is easy to understand even if you cannot read music sheets. As an example we will use the Christmas song White Christmas.

If you do not understand sheet music at all I encourage you to start learning it. Learn just a few notes at a time and give yourself time to commit the names, how they are played and how they look at a music sheet to your long-term memory.

Making this effort will give you great rewards. Knowing how to read and play piano sheet music will give you access to a nearly unlimited amount of music sheets with melodies, piano solos and more.

Piano tabs can be of great help as you work on learning sheet music notation. They are an easy way to learn melodies, chords and other things on your piano.

There are a few different types of piano tab notation on the net. In this article we will use a simplified form of the most common keyboard tablature notation.

In this system you will use the note names of the keys on your piano. The first note we will localize is the note commonly called middle c. Before you can find it we have to take a look at how the black keys are organized.

Looking at the black keys you will find groups with two or three black keys together. Middle c is located in the middle of your keyboard to the left of two black keys.

Middle c is often called c4. Actually, all white keys to the left of two black keys are called c. The number 4 shows that this c is in the fourth octave of a piano keyboard. An octave is the interval from one c to the next c.

The names of the white keys from one c to the next c is c d e f g a b c. The last note c is called c5 because it is one octave higher than c4.

Middle c is called c4 even on a smaller type of keyboard with less number of octaves. The c one octave to the left of c4 is called c3.

The easy piano tablature notation we will use as we learn to play White Christmas has these easy rules:

1. Lowercase letters show the white keys you are to play. For example, c d e f g a b

2. Black keys will be shown by uppercase letters. The note C shows that you are to play the black key to the right of c. Here is an E-major chord written this way: e G b

3. The octave in which you are to play a note is represented by a number after the letter. As mentioned before, the note c4 tells you to play middle c. The note E5 is the black key to the right of e in the octave to the left of middle c. The notes following a note with a number will only have a number when you change octave. Here is the beginning of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: c4 c g g a a g

Now it is time to learn White Christmas with the help of piano tab notation. I will write the lyrics and the corresponding tabs below:

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

e4 f e D e f F g

Remember, the notes following e4 are played in the same octave. The note D is the black key to the right of d. Let’s continue:

Just like the ones I used to know

a b c5 d c b4 a g

Where the treetops glisten and children listen

c d e e e a g c c c g

Here is the last line of the first verse:

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

f e f e d c d

Now it is time to play the next verse. It starts the same way as the first verse but ends with a change in the two last lines:

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

e f e D e f F g

With every Christmas card I write

a b c5 d c b4 a g

May your days be merry and bright

c d e e e a g c5

And may all your Christmases be white

c4 d e e a b3 b b c

In this piano tab notation you will not see the length of the notes but if you try to sing the lyrics as you memorize the tablature lines you will get the rhythm right!

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